Heney glovee



(No Mode-1.)

. H. GLOVER. Apparatus for Burning Sulphur to Produce Sulphuric Acid.

Patented Nov. 2, I880. Ry/

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRYGLOVER, OF SILVERTOWN, VICTORIA DOUKS, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING SULPHUR TO PRODUCE SULPHURIC ACID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,025, dated November2, 1880, Application filed June 7, 1880. (No model.) Patented in EnglandSeptember 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HENRY GLovER, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and residing at Silvertown, Victoria Docks, in the county ofEssex, England, have invented certain Improvements in. ApparatusEmployed in the Burning of Sulphur or of Materials Containing Sulphur,and in the application and use of the heat generated, (for which I haveobtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 3,7 74, 19th September, 1879,)of which the following is a specification.

According to certain methods of burning sulphur, or materials containingsulphur capable of being employed in the manufacture of sulphuric acid,a certain portion of sulphur is very liable to be volatilized.

N ow, my said invention relates to effecting the entire combustion ofthe volatilized sulphur, and at the same time utilizing the heat that isproduced from the entire combustion of the whole of the sulphur; and itconsists in the employment of a mass of fire -brick work or othersuitable material set pigeon-holewise, or in any other convenientmanner, between the burning-plate of the furnace and the sulphuric-acidchambers or other apparatus, so as to form a reservoir of heat, in whichheat may be conserved and any sublimed sulphur after admixture with theproper proportion of air be burned. The air previous to admission may,if necessary, be heated by the waste heat of the burning sulphur, or byany other suitable means, and the quantity of air admitted may bemeasured by an anemometer, so as to secure the proper admixture of gasesfor any subsequent process. By the abovementioned arrangements I obtaina very high temperature, and at any convenient portion of the apparatusI place platinum or other vessels, in which I concentrate sulphuric acidor other liquids.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one mode of carrying out my saidinvention, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a sectionalplan, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the same, and Fig.3 an enlarged sectional view of the evaporatingpan.

A is the burning plate or hearth of the furnace in which the sulphur ormaterial containing sulphur is burned, the same being supplied theretothrough a hopper, B, in the usual manner. (l is the passage leading tothe sulphuricacid chambers, (for example,) into which the gases evolvedfrom the combustion of the sulphur are conducted.

According to my said invention I interpose between the burning-plate Aand the sulphuric-acid chambers or other apparatus a mass offire-brick-work or other suitable material set pigeon-hole-wise, or inany other convenient manner. An example of this is indicated at D, thesame forming a reservoir of heat, and in which any sublimed sulphur maybe burned after admixture with the proper proportion of air admitted bythe pipes E or other suitable apparatus situated in any convenientposition. If found desirable, the air previous to admission may betreated by the waste heat of the burning sulphur, or by any otherconvenient means; and with the view to facilitate the process which iscarried on in the sulphuric-acid chambers or other apparatus, thequantity of air admitted may be measured by an anemometer, so as tosecure the proper admixture of gases for the process. By thearrangements hereinbefore described I obtain a very high temperature,and in order to utilize the heat thus produced I employ platinum orother vessels, one of which is shown at F, in which I concentratesulphuric acid or other liquids, such vessels being arranged at anysuitable part of the apparatusas, for example, at the part indicated toreceive and be subjected to the action of the heat generated in themanner hereinbefore described.

When the vessel F is used for concentrating sulphuric acid I prefer toconstruct the vessel with a surrounding trough, into which the weak acidis first conducted, and thence overflows in a partially-concentratedcondition into the body of the vessel, by which means the wear of thevessel is reduced to a minimum. Pans or vessels containing sulphuricacid may also be arranged at any convenient parts to be acted upon bythe heatas, for example, at G H. The weak acid from the chambers may befirst introduced into the pan G, and when partially concentratedconducted into the pan H, to be thence conducted into the vessel F,where it is finally concentrated to the strength of oil of vitriol orsuch other density as may be required, while fresh acid is introducedinto the pan G, and thence conducted into the pan H, to be, in its turn,sub sequently passed into the vessel F for final concentration to therequired strength, so that the operation proceeds in a continuous mannerand much of the available heatis utilized.

It is obvious that the details of arrangement of the apparatus may begreatly varied in practice without departing from the principle of myinvention-as, for example, two or more of the heat reservoirs I) may beemployed either in superposition or side by side, or otherwise, or anycombination of these may be used; and the concentrating, vessels or pansmay be placed in any convenient position, either so as to be heated bythe gases before the latter enter the reservoir or in any position in orbeyond. The concentrating vessels or pans may also, if desired, beprovided with covers, so as to admit of the products evolved being drawnofl' independently of the products from the combustion of the sulphur,or when a number of vessels or pans are used one or more of them may becovered, while the other or others are left open, so that the productsof evaporation from such of them as it maybe desired to maintainseparate are drawn olr' direct, while the products of evaporation fromthe others are allowed to pass with the pro ducts from the combustion ofthe sulphur to the sulphuric-acid chambers or other apparatus.

I therefore wish it to be understood that, although I have given as anexample a mode of carrying out my said invention which will be foundconvenient in practice, I do not confine myself to the detailshereinbefore described, and illustrated on the accompanying drawings;but

What I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as theinvention secured to me by the hereinbet'ore in part recited LettersPatent, is-

The combination of the burning-hearth of a furnace and the flues for theproducts of combustion with a reservoir, D, and pan or pans adapted tobe heated by said reservoirs, and air-supply conduits E between thehearth and reservoir, all substantially as set forth.

In testimon y whereof Ihave signed myname to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY GLOVER. Witnesses:

CHAS. MILLS,

47 Lincolns Inn Fields, London. \V. I. WEEKs,

31 Lombard Street, London.

